This journal is extremely readable, unlike the style of many obsolete manuscripts. A significant portion is dedicated to the natural and environmental discoveries the author makes in explorations into the far reaches of the plantation boundaries, but the more interesting sections are given to observations and interactions with the slaves. There are actually two plantations in which the author resided for a winter, both in the coastal region of Georgia, near or on Saint Simon's Island. One estate was dedicated to rice production, the other to sea island cotton. Although both offer squalid conditions for the slaves, one is better than the other and the author explains this and other states of affairs in a mostly detached, journalistic and thoroughly creditable style. This journal is a must-read for anyone wanting an authentic description of life on a slave plantation.